Lifestyle as Medicine 10/11/22
This are the “show notes” from the Lifestyle as Medicine forum hosted by Oren Gersten, MD and Jason Gootman
Longevity of Okinawans and Healthy Aging in Blue Zones
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-okinawans-key-to-healthy-aging-2223603
“Not only do Okinawans live longer, but they age incredibly well. Many of the centenarians studied were lean, energetic and had low rates of chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer.”
"Those studied had clean, healthy arteries, low cholesterol, and low homocysteine levels. Researchers believe these low, healthy levels may decrease the risk of heart disease in Okinawans by as much as 80 percent. The reasons for these low levels are thought to be linked to a healthy diet, high levels of physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, nonsmoking and a positive attitude."
"Okinawans also have less risk of hormone-dependent cancers, like breast, prostate, ovarian and colon cancers. Specifically, they have less risk of breast and prostate cancer, and less risk of ovarian and colon cancers. Researchers attribute this risk reduction to eating fewer calories, consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, eating healthy fats, eating plenty of fiber and staying physically active."
“Women in Okinawa do not use estrogen replacement therapy but still have few menopause-related complications.”
“Okinawans also have less risk of hip fractures than Americans. The bone density for the centenarians decreases at a slower rate than other Japanese people. This may be due to higher calcium intake in the Okinawan diet, more exposure to vitamin D through sunlight and higher levels of physical activity.”
“When the personalities of Okinawans were tested, it was found that they were generally stress-free and maintained a positive outlook on life. They had strong coping skills and a deep sense of spirituality, meaning, and purpose. Positive outlook Okinawans is also thought to explain their reduced risk for dementia.”
"The Okinawans show us that living a healthy lifestyle will not only help us live longer but will also help us live disease-free."
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Measuring the Health Outcomes of Social, Economic, and Environmental Policies
“Americans often think of health policy in terms of health care policies that affect prescription drug prices, deal with Medicare and Medicaid, or focus on health insurance coverage. But the health of Americans and the factors that affect health are about much more than health care. In fact, studies show that health care accounts for only about 10 percent to 20 percent of health outcomes. Health and life expectancy are shaped to a much greater extent by people’s living conditions and environment.”
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What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI
“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
“We’ve learned three big lessons about relationships. First, is that social connections are really good for us and that loneliness kills. It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well-connected.”
“It’s not just the number of friends you have and it’s not whether or not you’re in a committed relationship, but it’s the quality of your close relationships that matters.”
“The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”
“Good relationships don’t just protect our bodies, they protect our brains.”
“But over and over, over these 75 years, our study has shown that the people who fared the best were the people who leaned into relationships with family, with friends, with community.”
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Roseto Effect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseto_effect
“From 1954 to 1961, Roseto had nearly no heart attacks for the otherwise high-risk group of men 55 to 64, and men over 65 had a death rate of 1% while the national average was 2%. Widowers outnumbered widows, as well.
These statistics were at odds with a number of other factors observed in the community. They smoked unfiltered stogies drank wine ‘with seeming abandon’ in lieu of milk and soft drinks, skipped the Mediterranean diet in favor of meatballs and sausages fried in lard with hard and soft cheeses. The men worked in the slate quarries where they contracted illnesses from gases and dust.”
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The Peculiar Response Japanese Centenarians Give When You Ask Them What They Eat
"Of course, when you meet a centenarian, there’s a question that crosses everyone’s mind:
'What’s your secret to a healthy diet for a long and happy life?'
As I looked up interviews and read some articles in Japanese, I noticed the most peculiar pattern among responses from some notable centennials:
--'Eating delicious things and sleeping well.' --Nabi Tajima, who was born on August 4, 1900, and lived to be 117.
--'Eating delicious things is a key to my longevity.' --Misao Okawa, the world’s oldest living person until she passed away in 2015 at the age of 117. She also revealed that she ate lots of sushi and slept for eight hours every day.
--'I eat everything. And I especially like sweets.' --Motoi Fukunishi, one of the oldest men in Japan, living until 110.
It was this focus on foods that they loved--they didn’t say foods that were low in fat, high in fiber, or devoid of sugar. They didn’t even credit vegetables, whole grains, or a diet composed of mainly grilled fish. It was terms such as 'like' and 'delicious' that they used to describe the kind of diet that carried them for over 100 years."
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